Dear Editor – Having just returned from the above Hospital in Sydney, I would like to share a few thoughts about this incredible hospital and the wisdom of those who have initiated the 10-bed arrangement some 25 years ago.
First and foremost, I would like to thank the doctors at Central Hospital for referring Fr. Patteson Dora with the others to undergo treatment at St. Vincent Hospital, Sydney Australia.
Equally important also, I would like to express our thanks for the wisdom of those who have initiated this 10-bed arrangement, the likes of Sir Nathaniel Waena, Late Hon. Nathaniel Supa, Dr. Nathan Kere and Sir Trevor Garland.
These great leaders have indeed demonstrated leadership qualities, care and put the interest of its citizen first.
St Vincent Hospital in Sydney is a very important health facility to Solomon Islands. It has a 10-bed patient program between the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Solomon Islands and the NSW Ministry of Health, which allows 10 cases with life threatening conditions that are amenable to cure to be treated at the Hospital per annum.
Over the last 25 years or so, St Vincent Hospital has saved many Solomon Islandes’ life, from being hospitalized for life, paralyzed or being dead.
I have personally seen and witnessed several Solomon Islands patients who were referred to this Hospital were being treated and able to be given a second chance of survival.
These patients should have been dead if they have not been referred to the Hospital.
We should be very thankful for our Consular Office in Sydney under the leadership of Sir Trevor Garland who has continued to care for our patients at the hospital and for keeping this very important understanding alive despite, our (Government) failure to meet our commitment and obligations to that signed Memorandum of Understanding.
I was formally informed by a local doctor at the Central Hospital that some of our sick patient have died because they could not be treated here as there were no proper facilities to perform operations or even a scan at the Hospital to diagnose, the lack of qualified trained doctors and appropriate medication available at our Hospital.
We could not refer them to St Vincent Hospital for special treatment, because our Government has failed to settle our commitment to the Hospital, said the senior local doctor.
This is totally irresponsible and gross pure negligence on our part given the huge allocation of funds for Health & Medical Services. Surely somebody out there is not doing his or her job.
May I call on the Ministry of Health & Medical Services or the national government for that matter to revisit and review its signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with St Vincent Hospital, with the intention of allocating more financial resources towards its Solomon Island Consul, who daily confers with our Solomon Islands patients who are referred, admitted and treated at the Hospital.
I am demanding our Government to seriously look into the matter and put the interest and life of its people first than their own.
It is a very sad scenario indeed to see our members of Parliament approving huge financial awards for themselves rather than procuring appropriate equipment and medicine for our Hospital and Clinics.
Henry Star Dora
Honiara
